A legal team of which Opposition Leader Ralph Gonsalves is a member has secured bail for a murder accused, three years after he said that some judicial officers behave as if they are living on Mars by granting bail for murder.
In May 2023, when he was prime minister and minister of national security, amidst a spate of killings that saw the homicide count rise to a record 55 that year, Gonsalves used a regional symposium on crime to criticise judicial officers across CARICOM for granting bail to murder accused.
“Sometimes you get the impression that some magistrates -depending on who is the lawyer- their client seems to get better treatment…” Gonsalves had said.
“… How could you go and give somebody who is charged with murder bail? Let’s get serious!… where do these judges live? On Mars?” he had further stated.
The former prime minister, along with his son, former finance minister Camillo Gonsalves, were members of the legal team who secured bail for the 16-year-old female murder accused.
The other members of the team were Ronald “Ronny” Marks and Graham Bollers.
The teen was charged with murder in April after the death of 65-year-old Winston McMillan, whom she allegedly struck in the head during an altercation.
The teen had initially been charged with attempted murder while McMillan was in hospital, with his condition listed as brain-dead.
A magistrate had denied bail for the teen, one of Gonsalves’ North Central Windward constituents, when the opposition leader made the application in May.
However, on Monday, High Court judge Justice Gertel Thom granted the teen EC$25,000 bail with two sureties.
The court issued stop orders for the teen, who did not have to surrender her passport, which has expired.
The court, however, ordered her to report to the Colonarie police station three times per week.